Wednesday, October 2, 2013

I don't know about you, but my headphones tend to be the free ones that come bundled with some other electronic purchase and then fall apart after a couple rounds with the kids and cats. (No, I know cats don't wear headphones — earbuds would just fall right in! — but that doesn't mean they don't think the cords are intriguing….)

But I've always wanted better. I even shop around for headphones from time to time and then get befuddled. That's why I was so excited to review the Monster N-Tune HD headphones in a cool candy blue.

I mention the color upfront, because: Whoa! I was seriously so happy to open the box and see that bright blueberry staring me in the face. It's such a sweet change from boring old black. (This candy colours collection also comes in cherry red, green apple, tangerine, and grape.)

I also love how old-school yet hip they are. When I was growing up (gather round, children!), I always loved my parents' huge, ear-covering headphones, but it seems like the world's gone earbud. It's refreshing to have banded headphones that are soft and cushy as they cover your ears.

You know that mentioning cats wearing earphones made me need to take a picture of it.

But that's the fashion review. What about the function?

Once you slip them over your ears, the other sounds in your life are satisfyingly muffled, leaving you free to concentrate on the clarity of your music (or other audio pleasures). I cranked up some rock music, and all the songs sounded vibrant and free of distortion with a strong but not overpowering bass line. The middle tones are not quite as intense, and the highs are tamped down, but it's a sound that works well with most pop and rock music (which is what I tend to listen to, so I'm set). I find that guitar in particular (even acoustic) really shines.

As for durability, you're supposed to be able to twist them all around without breaking. I'm going to skip that for now, as I suspect my sons will be manhandling them for me quite enough in the future. Mikko's eyes lit up when he saw the candy blue color, so I promised him he could use them when I was done reviewing. As if I'd ever intentionally buy a six-year-old $150 headphones, am I right? But I have to admit, their looks are appealing! And since earbuds are problematic in little-kid ears, I think these will work a lot better for him — so we'll share.

Just a note if you're considering buying these for a little kid: My older son has a humongous head, the size of a teenager's, so I wouldn't buy them for kids with petite skulls, like my little dude. The band on these doesn't adjust down very far; I have a huge head, too, and I barely have to size these up any bigger. I'm astonished at just how large they adjust, to be honest — if you are Gargantu-Head, you have found your headphones!

My review on comfort is mixed. I have the worst time with headbands, period. I don't know how other girls stand them, because they give me an almost instant headache, no matter how big I stretch them. I think it must have to do with where it presses on my head. Anyway, I had the same problem with these headphones so had to adjust them farther back on my head so it wouldn't press on the headache points. But I did like the padding on my ears, and I have several odd piercings that weren't bothered.

Other features that are lovely: The headphones come with an included, solid-feeling and tangle-free 1/8" cord, which fits most laptops, phones, and tablets. If you want to plug it into a home stereo system, you'll need an adapter or a different cord. Fortunately, the cord unplugs from the headset, so replacing it is an easy option.

Two people can listen to the same music simultaneously, because each ear has its own cord input. Just link two pairs of headphones together. Kinda cool, huh?

There's a pause button included on the cord, so if a call comes in or you want to listen to someone speaking to you in person (whatevs), you can take a break from your music and then come right back in. It worked on my smartphone just as well as on iTunes on my laptop.

Plus, cats think they're delicious.

These would make a really snazzy gift for an audiophile you love (really love), because they come in an impressive box. Oh, I know — but I really think presentation counts for a lot! They include a soft carrying pouch, and the cords in a little drawer. And I can't fail to mention again the delicious candy colors to choose from.

Neat-o!

And now … drumroll, please … you can enter to win your own pair — for you, or for the sound-lover in your life!

WIN IT!

Please click over to the Monster Headphones page on Walmart.com and let us know which is your favorite NTunes color in the comments for a chance to win. The comments on this post will be aggregated with the comments on the posts from the other bloggers participating in this review, and 25 pairs will be given away. This giveaway will close on Nov 1.

Please leave a valid email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win! You can write it like this to foil spambots: mail {at} HoboMama {dot} com.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

BlogHer will pool entries from participating blogs and select a sweepstakes winner at random and will contact the winner with details about fulfilling the prize.

The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 10/2/13 – 11/1/13.

No purchase necessary. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners agree to hold Hobo Mama and the giveaway hosts harmless for any problem with receipt and/or use of prize. Winner must contact the product seller or manufacturer directly if there is any problem with the prize or prize delivery. Winners are responsible for any taxes or customs fees related to prize winnings. Hobo Mama and the giveaway hosts reserve the right to publicize the winner's first name. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclosure: I received a product and compensation for review.
If I don't like a product, I won't be recommending it to you.
See my full disclosure policy here.

As someone who has never had a one favorite color, this is a tough question. I like the blue, green, and red. I'm not crazy about the tangerine color, and the purple pair is okay. I don't have a favorite color but would love to win a pair because I hate the feel of buds in my ears.

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Riding the rails with my husband, Crackerdog Sam, and our hobo kids, Mikko Lint Picker (born June 2007), Alrik Irontrousers (born May 2011), and Karsten (born October 2014). Trying every day to parent intentionally and with grace.